JP7218739B2 - Knee orthosis and leg orthosis - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to knee braces and leg braces.

Knee osteoarthritis is known as a typical example of a symptom with pain in the knee joint. Knee osteoarthritis is caused by decreased knee joint function triggered by muscle weakness, aging, obesity, etc., resulting in wear and tear of the knee cartilage, loosening, deformation and tearing of the meniscus, and joint fluid production due to inflammation. It causes excessive retention and makes walking painful.

As osteoarthritis of the knee progresses, varus deformation due to joint destruction may occur, resulting in a varus knee commonly called bow leg. In addition, the varus knee is considered to be one of the causes of knee osteoarthritis, together with the valgus knee commonly called "X leg", and is closely related to knee osteoarthritis.

In the case of a club knee, damage to the cartilage inside the knee joint is likely to occur. As the condition of knee osteoarthritis progresses with the addition of club knee, the curvature of the leg is further increased, the inclination of the lower leg is further steepened, and the cartilage of the joint is further worn away. Due to cartilage wear and tear, when the bones rub directly against each other, they feel intense pain and become unable to walk.

The treatment of knee osteoarthritis consists of surgical therapy in which the knee joint is amputated and an artificial joint made of metal is joined, and conservative therapy in which rehabilitation is continued using a gait training machine and the patient regains memory of the correct walking method. Are known.

In surgical therapy, the pain in walking disappears, but there are disadvantages such as being able to sit only in a chair because the rotation angle of the artificial joint is narrow, and being unable to stand up if artificial joints are introduced in both legs. In addition, as aging progresses, the bone becomes brittle and the strength balance with the metal is lost, so the service life is about 10 years. In addition, surgical therapy is expensive.

Conservative therapy, on the other hand, is a method of relieving walking pain using a knee brace and strengthening muscles by walking regularly every day. However, there are no disadvantages peculiar to surgical therapy.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a knee brace that reproduces the screw home movement of a healthy knee joint in the knee joint of a patient with osteoarthritis of the knee joint by generating a twist on the outside when the knee joint is fully extended. there is

Japanese Patent No. 5189714

By the way, as a characteristic of patients with advanced medial type osteoarthritis of the knee, there is excessive external rotation of the lower leg, in which the lower leg deviates at an angle to which the lower leg is twisted in the direction of external rotation with respect to the thigh. A state of abnormal rotation and misalignment places stress on the inside of the knee, increasing pain. In addition, it is known that the pain during walking in knee osteoarthritis is related to the external varus moment. The external varus moment is determined by the product of the load from the foot and the moment arm of the knee joint. Excessive external rotation of the lower extremities during swing and knee extension causes the foot to abduct and induces crib-legged gait. During stance, the moment arm increases, the external varus moment increases, and the mechanical stress on the knee increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing external rotation of the lower leg relative to the thigh during extension of the knee joint in response to the problem of excessive external rotation of the lower leg in patients with advanced medial knee osteoarthritis. .

According to the aspect of the present invention, the thigh fixing part attached to the patient's thigh, the lower leg fixing part attached to the patient's lower leg, the thigh fixing part and the lower leg fixing part are connected, and the knee of the patient is attached. An outer leg side joint that is arranged on the outer leg side of the joint and is bendable, and an inner leg side that is arranged on the inner leg side of the patient's knee joint and is bendable and stretchable, connecting the thigh fixing part and the lower leg fixing part. a knee brace for patients with knee osteoarthritis, wherein each of the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint is an upper arm disposed along the side of the thigh; , a lower arm arranged along the side of the lower leg, wherein the upper arm and the lower arm are connected by a connecting portion arranged on the side of the knee joint, and the outer leg side joint and A knee brace is provided, wherein the lower arm of the outer leg joint moves forward relative to the lower arm of the inner leg joint when the inner leg joint extends. be. According to the above configuration, the knee brace operates to internally rotate the lower leg with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended. Therefore, it is possible to suppress external rotation of the lower leg with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended. In addition, by suppressing the external rotation of the lower leg with respect to the thigh, the moment arm of the knee joint is reduced, and the effect of reducing the varus moment is exhibited.
Preferably, the connecting portion includes a cam groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm, a long groove provided in the lower arm or the upper arm, and a long groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm. and a cam shaft provided on the lower arm or the upper arm and sliding in the cam groove. When the patient bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft The lower arm is configured to rotate relative to the upper arm as it slides in the long groove and the cam shaft slides in the cam groove.
Preferably, the cam groove is provided in the upper arm, the long groove is provided in the lower arm, the pivot shaft is provided in the upper arm, and the cam shaft is provided in the lower arm. It is
Preferably, in the long groove of the lower arm of the outer leg joint, an end of the long groove where the rotation fulcrum shaft is arranged when the outer leg joint is extended is aligned with the patient. The long groove of the lower arm of the inner leg side joint is the end of the long groove, and the inner leg side joint extends. The lower arm is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction so that the end portion where the pivot shaft is arranged is located in front of the patient when the lower arm is closed. According to the above configuration, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which the lower leg is internally rotated with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended with a simple configuration.
Preferably, when the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint are extended, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is shortened, and the inner leg side joint is extended. The distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the side joint to the thigh fixing part or the lower leg fixing part is long. According to the above configuration, since the knee joint is pushed toward the inner leg when the knee joint is extended, it is possible to alleviate the pain caused by the bones rubbing against each other on the inner leg side of the knee joint.
Preferably, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is the shortest before the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint finish extension. Thus, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the inner leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is the longest. That is, the pain caused by friction between the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint appears most prominently before the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint finish extension. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to effectively alleviate the pain caused by the rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint.
Preferably, the knee joint angle is 0 degrees when the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint are extended, and the knee joint angle increases in the positive direction when the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint are flexed. Then, when the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is the shortest, and the inner leg side The distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the joint to the thigh fixing part or the lower leg fixing part is the longest. That is, the pain caused by rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint appears most prominently when the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to effectively alleviate the pain caused by the rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint.
Preferably, the extended state of the knee joint is not canceled by ground reaction force when the affected leg wearing the knee brace lands on the ground. According to the above configuration, the extension state of the knee joint is not canceled when the robot lands.
Preferably, the connecting portion includes a cam groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm, a long groove provided in the lower arm or the upper arm, and a long groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm. and a cam shaft that is provided on the lower arm or the upper arm and slides in the cam groove. When the patient bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft The lower arm is configured to rotate with respect to the upper arm as the cam shaft slides in the cam groove while sliding in the long groove, and the knee joint is in an extended state. Sometimes, the area of the cam groove where the cam shaft is located is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm, or the area of the cam groove of the outer leg joint is the end of the cam groove on the extension side. Alternatively, the region of the cam groove of the inner leg side joint slopes upward as it approaches the end of the cam groove on the extension side. According to the configuration described above, it is possible to prevent the extension state of the knee joint from being canceled when landing with a simple configuration.
Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a biasing portion that biases the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint to bring them closer together. According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the inner leg side joint from being distorted toward the inner leg side.
A leg brace is provided, preferably comprising a knee brace as described above.

According to the present invention, external rotation of the lower leg with respect to the thigh is suppressed when the knee joint is extended.

1 is a perspective view of a leg brace; FIG. FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the outer leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees; FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the outer leg joint; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the outer leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 30 degrees; FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the outer leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 60 degrees; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the outer leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 90 degrees; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the outer leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 120 degrees; FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the inner leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees; FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the inner leg joint; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the inner leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 30 degrees; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the inner leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 60 degrees; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the inner leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 90 degrees; FIG. 11 is a partial side view of the inner leg side joint when the knee joint angle is 120 degrees; It is a graph which shows the relationship between a knee-joint angle and a leg rotation angle. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the knee joint angle and the lower leg rotation angle in the first modified example. FIG. 11 is a side view of the upper arm of the outer leg joint in the first modified example; FIG. 11 is a side view of the upper arm of the inner leg joint in the first modified example; 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the knee joint angle and the lower leg rotation angle in the second modified example. FIG. 11 is a side view of an upper arm of an outer leg joint in a second modified example; FIG. 11 is a side view of an upper arm of an inner leg joint in a second modified example; It is a perspective view of the leg brace covered with the cylinder.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present disclosure is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

First, the configuration of the leg brace of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing how the leg brace according to the present embodiment is used. In FIG. 1, in order to clearly show the configuration of the leg brace, the shoes worn by the wearer are indicated by one-dot chain lines, and the legs of the wearer are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

In the following description, the leg brace attached to the left leg of the wearer will be exemplified. is an axis extending in the front-rear direction of the wearer in a standing posture wearing the leg brace, and a pitch axis is an axis extending in the left-right direction of the wearer in a standing posture wearing the leg brace. However, the yaw axis, pitch axis and roll axis are defined for convenience in order to clarify the description, and change according to the walking posture of the wearer. In the following description, the right side with respect to the left leg may be indicated as "inner side, inner leg side", and the left side with respect to the left leg may be indicated as "outer side, outer leg side".

As shown in FIG. 1, a leg brace 1 is preferably worn on the leg to reduce pain in the knee joint of a bow-leg knee osteoarthritis patient. . The knee brace 2 is attached to the knee of the affected leg of the wearer P (patient), and is configured to bend and stretch as the knee joint of the wearer P bends and stretches. Specifically, the knee brace 2 includes a thigh fixing portion 8 , a lower leg fixing portion 9 , an outer leg side joint 5 and an inner leg side joint 6 .

The thigh fixing part 8 is attached to the wearer's P thigh.

The leg fixing part 9 is worn on the wearer's P leg.

The outer leg side joint 5 connects the thigh fixing portion 8 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 and is arranged on the outer leg side of the knee joint of the wearer P so as to be bendable and stretchable.

The outer leg joint 5 includes an upper arm 5a, a lower arm 5b, and a connecting portion 5c. The upper arm 5a is arranged along the side of the thigh. The lower arm 5b is arranged along the side of the lower leg. The upper arm 5a and the lower arm 5b are connected by a connecting portion 5c arranged on the side of the knee joint.

The upper arm 5a extends in the yaw axis direction, and has a basic form of a long plate substantially perpendicular to the pitch axis. The lower arm 5b also extends in the yaw axis direction, and has a basic form of a long plate substantially perpendicular to the pitch axis.

The connecting portion 5c connects the lower end portion of the upper arm 5a and the upper end portion of the lower arm 5b so as to be rotatable about the pitch axis.

FIG. 2 shows the connecting portion 5c of the outer leg joint 5 in the extended state. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 5c includes a cam groove 10 provided in the upper arm 5a, a long groove 11 provided in the lower arm 5b, and a rotational movement that slides in the long groove 11 provided in the upper arm 5a. It is composed of a fulcrum shaft 12 and a cam shaft 13 provided on the lower arm 5 b and sliding in the cam groove 10 .

When the wearer P bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 slides in the long groove 11 and the cam shaft 13 slides in the cam groove 10, causing the lower arm 5b to move relative to the upper arm 5a. are configured to rotate relative to each other.

Returning to FIG. 1, the inner leg side joint 6 connects the thigh fixing portion 8 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 and is arranged on the inner leg side of the knee joint of the wearer P so as to be bendable and stretchable.

The inner leg joint 6 includes an upper arm 6a, a lower arm 6b and a connecting portion 6c. The upper arm 6a is arranged along the side of the thigh. The lower arm 6b is arranged along the side of the lower leg. The upper arm 6a and the lower arm 6b are connected by a connecting portion 6c arranged on the side of the knee joint.

The upper arm 6a extends in the yaw axis direction, and has a basic form of a long plate substantially perpendicular to the pitch axis. The lower arm 6b also extends in the yaw axis direction, and has a basic form of a long plate substantially orthogonal to the pitch axis.

The connecting portion 6c connects the lower end portion of the upper arm 6a and the upper end portion of the lower arm 6b so as to be rotatable about the pitch axis.

FIG. 8 shows the connecting portion 6c of the inner leg side joint 6 in the extended state. As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting portion 6c includes a cam groove 20 provided in the upper arm 6a, a long groove 21 provided in the lower arm 6b, and a rotational movement that slides in the long groove 21 provided in the upper arm 6a. It is composed of a fulcrum shaft 22 and a cam shaft 23 provided on the lower arm 6 b and sliding in the cam groove 20 .

When the wearer P bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 slides in the long groove 21 and the cam shaft 23 slides in the cam groove 20, thereby moving the lower arm 6b relative to the upper arm 6a. are configured to rotate relative to each other.

The connecting portion 5c and the connecting portion 6c will be described later in detail.

Returning to FIG. 1, the thigh fixing part 8 is attached to the wearer's P thigh. The thigh fixing portion 8 fixes the upper arm 5a of the outer leg side joint 5 and the upper arm 6a of the inner leg side joint 6 to the wearer's P thigh. Thigh fixing part 8 includes thigh cuff 30 and thigh belt 31 .

The thigh cuff 30 is arranged so as to face the front surface of the wearer's P thigh. The thigh cuff 30 is curved so as to be convex forward in plan view. The thigh cuff 30 has one end fixed to the upper end of the upper arm 5 a of the outer leg joint 5 and the other end fixed to the upper end of the upper arm 6 a of the inner leg joint 6 .

The thigh belt 31 fixes the thigh cuff 30 to the thigh of the wearer P by being wound around the thigh of the wearer P so as to involve the thigh of the wearer P and the thigh cuff 30 at the same time.

The leg fixing part 9 is worn on the wearer's P leg. The lower leg fixing part 9 fixes the lower arm 5b of the outer leg side joint 5 and the lower arm 6b of the inner leg side joint 6 to the wearer's P lower leg. The lower leg fixing part 9 includes a lower leg cuff 32 and a lower leg belt 33 .

The leg cuff 32 is arranged so as to face the front surface of the wearer's P leg. The lower leg cuff 32 is curved so as to protrude forward in plan view. The lower leg cuff 32 has one end fixed to the lower end of the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 and the other end fixed to the lower end of the lower arm 6b of the inner leg joint 6 .

The lower leg belt 33 fixes the lower leg cuff 32 to the lower leg of the wearer P by being wrapped around the lower leg of the wearer P so as to involve both the lower leg and the lower leg cuff 32 at the same time.

With such a configuration, when the wearer P extends the knee while the wearer P is wearing the knee brace 2, the knee brace 2 internally rotates the lower leg of the wearer P relative to the thigh. The outer leg joint 5 and the inner leg joint 6 are configured to extend. Therefore, for example, when the affected leg is in a swinging state and the knee joint is extended, the lower leg rotates externally relative to the thigh, causing severe pain in the knee joint. For the patient, the knee brace 2 can alleviate their pain.

The lower leg aid 3 suppresses the thrust of the wearer's P knees. Description of the lower leg aid 3 is omitted. The crus assisting device 3 is detachably attached to the knee brace 2 .

Next, the connecting portion 5c and the connecting portion 6c will be described in detail. In the following description of the structure of the connecting portion 5c and the connecting portion 6c, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, for convenience of explanation, the connecting portion 5c and the connecting portion 6c are in the extended state, and the upper arm 5a and the lower arm are shown. 5b, the upper arm 6a, and the lower arm 6b are all parallel to the vertical direction.

(Connecting portion 5c)
As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the upper arm 5a is arranged inside the lower arm 5b. However, the upper arm 5a may be arranged outside the lower arm 5b.

In FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, it is removed from the upper arm 5a and the lower arm 5b, and the two are separated in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, a cam groove 10 and a pivot shaft 12 are formed in the upper arm 5a.

The cam groove 10 curves and extends forward and upward. Specifically, the cam groove 10 includes a bending side cam groove 10a, an intermediate cam groove 10b, and an extension side cam groove 10c. The bending side cam groove 10a, the intermediate cam groove 10b, and the extension side cam groove 10c are formed so as to continue clockwise in this order in a side view of the connecting portion 5c viewed from the outer leg side.

The bending-side cam groove 10a extends linearly and is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 5a so as to go upward toward the front.

The intermediate cam groove 10b extends in an arc shape from the upper end of the bending-side cam groove 10a and curves forward and upward.

The extension-side cam groove 10c extends linearly from the rear end of the intermediate cam groove 10b and extends parallel to the front-rear direction. That is, the extension-side cam groove 10c extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 5a.

The rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is a shaft that serves as a fulcrum for rotation of the lower arm 5b. The rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is arranged below the extension side cam groove 10c. The rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is arranged behind the bending-side cam groove 10a. The rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is arranged outside the area surrounded by the cam groove 10 . The pivot shaft 12 may be a metal shaft attached to the upper arm 5a, or may be injection-molded together with the upper arm 5a.

An auxiliary line c1 parallel to the vertical direction is drawn from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 toward the extension side cam groove 10c, and the distance from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 to the extension side cam groove 10c on the auxiliary line c1. Define d1. Also, an auxiliary line c2 inclined 20 degrees with respect to the vertical direction is drawn from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 toward the intermediate cam groove 10b. define the distance d2 of . In this embodiment, distance d2>distance d1 is established. Also, the distance from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 to the intermediate cam groove 10b is the longest on the auxiliary line c2.

The cam groove 10 has an extension side end portion 10d and a bending side end portion 10e. Both the extension side end portion 10d and the bending side end portion 10e are ends of the cam groove 10 in the longitudinal direction. The extension side end portion 10d is an end portion to which the cam shaft 13 of the lower arm 5b approaches when the outer leg side joint 5 extends. The bending-side end 10e is an end to which the cam shaft 13 of the lower arm 5b approaches when the outer leg-side joint 5 bends.

The long groove 11 extends linearly and is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to go upward as it goes forward. The long groove 11 has an extension side end portion 11d and a bending side end portion 11e. The extension-side end portion 11d is the end portion at the lower end of the long groove 11, and is the end portion to which the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the upper arm 5a approaches when the outer leg-side joint 5 is extended. The bending-side end portion 11e is the upper end portion of the long groove 11, and is the end portion to which the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the upper arm 5a approaches when the outer leg-side joint 5 bends.

The camshaft 13 is arranged above the long groove 11 . The cam shaft 13 is arranged above and behind the bending side end portion 11 e of the long groove 11 . The cam shaft 13 is arranged above and in front of the extension-side end portion 11 d of the long groove 11 . The camshaft 13 may be a metal shaft attached to the lower arm 5b, or may be injection-molded together with the lower arm 5b.

(Connecting portion 6c)
As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the upper arm 6a is arranged outside the lower arm 6b. However, the upper arm 6a may be arranged inside the lower arm 6b.

In FIG. 9, for convenience of explanation, the upper arm 6a is removed from the lower arm 6b, and the two are separated in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, a cam groove 20 and a pivot shaft 22 are formed in the upper arm 6a.

The cam groove 20 extends in a curved manner so as to protrude rearward and downward. Specifically, the cam grooves 20 include a bending side cam groove 20a, an intermediate cam groove 20b, and an extension side cam groove 20c. The flexion side cam groove 20a, the intermediate cam groove 20b, and the extension side cam groove 20c are formed so as to continue in this order counterclockwise in a side view of the connecting portion 6c viewed from the inner leg side.

The bending-side cam groove 20a extends linearly and is inclined downward with respect to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 6a toward the rear.

The intermediate cam groove 20b extends in an arc shape from the lower end of the bending-side cam groove 20a and is curved so as to protrude rearward and downward.

The extension-side cam groove 20c extends linearly from the front end of the intermediate cam groove 20b and extends parallel to the front-rear direction. That is, the extension-side cam groove 20c extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 6a.

The rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is a shaft that serves as a fulcrum for rotation of the lower arm 6b. The rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is arranged above the extension-side cam groove 20c. The rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is arranged in front of the bending-side cam groove 20a. The rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is arranged outside the area surrounded by the cam groove 20 . The rotating fulcrum shaft 22 may be a metal shaft attached to the upper arm 6a, or may be injection-molded together with the upper arm 6a.

An auxiliary line c3 parallel to the vertical direction is drawn from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 toward the extension side cam groove 20c, and the distance from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 to the extension side cam groove 20c on the auxiliary line c3. Define d3. Further, an auxiliary line c4 inclined 20 degrees with respect to the vertical direction is drawn from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 toward the intermediate cam groove 20b. define the distance d4 of . In this embodiment, distance d4>distance d3 is established. Also, the distance from the center of the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 to the intermediate cam groove 20b is the longest on the auxiliary line c4.

The cam groove 20 has an extension side end portion 20d and a bending side end portion 20e. Both the extension side end portion 20d and the bending side end portion 20e are ends of the cam groove 20 in the longitudinal direction. The extension-side end portion 20d is an end portion to which the cam shaft 23 of the lower arm 6b approaches when the inner leg-side joint 6 is extended. The bending-side end 20e is an end to which the cam shaft 23 of the lower arm 6b approaches when the inner leg-side joint 6 bends.

The long groove 21 extends linearly and is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to go upward as it goes forward. The long groove 21 has an extension side end 21d and a bending side end 21e. The extension-side end portion 21d is the upper end portion of the long groove 21, and is the end portion to which the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 of the upper arm 6a approaches when the inner leg-side joint 6 is extended. The bending-side end portion 21e is the lower end portion of the long groove 21, and is the end portion to which the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 of the upper arm 6a approaches when the inner leg-side joint 6 bends.

The camshaft 23 is arranged below the long groove 21 . The cam shaft 23 is arranged below and in front of the bent end 21 e of the long groove 21 . The camshaft 23 is arranged below the extension side end 21d of the long groove 21 . The camshaft 23 may be a metal shaft attached to the lower arm 6b, or may be injection-molded together with the lower arm 6b.

Next, the operation of the leg brace 1 will be described. The following description focuses on where the pivot shaft 12 and the cam shaft 13, the pivot shaft 22, and the cam shaft 23 are positioned for each knee joint angle.

(Knee joint angle = 0 degree)
(Outer leg side joint 5)
As shown in FIG. 2, when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees, that is, when the knee joint is in the extended state, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned at the extension side end portion 11d of the long groove 11. As shown in FIG. In addition, the cam shaft 13 is located in the extension side cam groove 10c of the cam groove 10, and more specifically, is located in the extension side end portion 10d.

Thus, when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees, the cam shaft 13 is positioned in the extension side cam groove 10c of the cam groove 10, and the extension side cam groove 10c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 5a. Therefore, the cam shaft 13 does not move away from the extension side end 10d of the cam groove 10 due to ground reaction force received when the affected leg wearing the knee brace 2 lands on the ground. Therefore, when the affected leg wearing the knee brace 2 lands on the ground, the extension state of the outer leg side joint 5 is maintained.

(inner leg side joint 6)
As shown in FIG. 8, when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees, that is, when the knee joint is in the extended state, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at the extension side end 21d of the long groove 21. As shown in FIG. Further, the cam shaft 23 is positioned in the extension side cam groove 20c of the cam groove 20, specifically, in the extension side end portion 20d.

Thus, when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees, the cam shaft 23 is positioned in the extension side cam groove 20c of the cam groove 20, and the extension side cam groove 20c is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 6a. Therefore, the cam shaft 23 does not move away from the extension side end 20d of the cam groove 20 due to ground reaction force received when the affected leg wearing the knee brace 2 lands on the ground. Therefore, when the affected leg wearing the knee brace 2 lands on the ground, the extension state of the inner leg side joint 6 is maintained.

(Knee joint angle = 30 degrees)
(Outer leg side joint 5)
As shown in FIG. 4, when the knee joint angle is 30 degrees, the cam shaft 13 is positioned in the intermediate cam groove 10b of the cam groove 10. As shown in FIG. Also, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is slightly closer to the extension-side end portion 11d of the long groove 11 than when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees. This is because, as shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate cam groove 10b is formed farther from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 than the extension side cam groove 10c, that is, distance d2>distance d1. .

(inner leg side joint 6)
As shown in FIG. 10, when the knee joint angle is 30 degrees, the cam shaft 23 is positioned in the intermediate cam groove 20b of the cam groove 20. As shown in FIG. Also, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is slightly closer to the extension-side end portion 21d of the long groove 21 than when the knee joint angle is 0 degrees. This is because, as shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate cam groove 20b is formed farther from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 than the extension side cam groove 20c, that is, distance d4>distance d3. .

(Knee joint angle = 60 degrees)
(Outer leg side joint 5)
As shown in FIG. 5, when the knee joint angle is 60 degrees, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned in the center of the long groove 11 in the longitudinal direction. Further, the cam shaft 13 is positioned near the boundary between the bending side cam groove 10a of the cam groove 10 and the intermediate cam groove 10b.
(inner leg side joint 6)
As shown in FIG. 11, when the knee joint angle is 60 degrees, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at the center of the long groove 21 in the longitudinal direction. Further, the cam shaft 23 is located near the boundary between the bending side cam groove 20a of the cam groove 20 and the intermediate cam groove 20b.

(Knee joint angle = 90 degrees)
(Outer leg side joint 5)
As shown in FIG. 6, when the knee joint angle is 90 degrees, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned in the vicinity of the bending side end portion 11e of the long groove 11. As shown in FIG. The cam shaft 13 is positioned in the bending side cam groove 10a of the cam groove 10, and more specifically, is positioned in the center of the bending side cam groove 10a in the longitudinal direction.
(inner leg side joint 6)
As shown in FIG. 12, when the knee joint angle is 90 degrees, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is located in the vicinity of the bending side end 21e of the long groove 21. As shown in FIG. The cam shaft 23 is positioned in the bending side cam groove 20a of the cam groove 20, and more specifically, is positioned in the center of the bending side cam groove 20a in the longitudinal direction.

(Knee joint angle = 120 degrees)
(Outer leg side joint 5)
When the knee joint angle is 120 degrees, as shown in FIG. Further, the cam shaft 13 is positioned in the bending side cam groove 10a of the cam groove 10, specifically, in the vicinity of the bending side end portion 10e.

(inner leg side joint 6)
As shown in FIG. 13, when the knee joint angle is 120 degrees, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at the bending side end 21e of the long groove 21. As shown in FIG. Further, the cam shaft 23 is positioned in the bending side cam groove 20a of the cam groove 20, specifically, in the vicinity of the bending side end portion 20e.

As described above, when extending the knee joint, in the outer leg joint 5 shown in FIG. Then, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 moves from the bending side end portion 11e of the long groove 11 toward the extension side end portion 11d.

Similarly, when extending the knee joint, in the inner leg joint 6 shown in FIG. The fulcrum shaft 22 moves from the bend-side end 21e of the long groove 21 toward the extension-side end 21d.

Conversely, when the knee joint is flexed, in the outer leg side joint 5 shown in FIG. The fulcrum shaft 12 moves from the extension side end portion 11d of the long groove 11 toward the bending side end portion 11e. Similarly, when the knee joint is flexed, in the inner leg side joint 6 shown in FIG. The fulcrum shaft 22 moves from the extension side end 21d of the long groove 21 toward the bending side end 21e.

(Lower leg internal rotation action)
By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, the long groove 11 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 5a so as to go upward as it goes forward. When the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned at the extension side end portion 11d, and when the knee joint is flexed, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned at the flexion side end portion 11e. That is, when the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 moves from the bending side end portion 11e toward the extending side end portion 11d. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b rotates about the rotation fulcrum shaft 12, and the rotation fulcrum is shifted by the difference between the extension-side end portion 11d and the flexion-side end portion 11e in the front-rear direction. With the shaft 12 as a reference, the lower arm 5b is substantially moved forward.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the long groove 21 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 6a so as to go upward as it goes forward. Rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at extension side end 21d when the knee joint is extended, and rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at flexion side end 21e when the knee joint is flexed. That is, when the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 moves from the flexion side end 21e toward the extension side end 21d. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 6b rotates about the rotation fulcrum shaft 22, and the rotation fulcrum is shifted by the difference between the extension-side end 21d and the flexion-side end 21e in the front-rear direction. With the shaft 22 as a reference, the lower arm 6b moves substantially rearward.

Thus, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b moves forward relative to the upper arm 5a at the outer leg joint 5, and the lower arm 6b moves forward relative to the upper arm 6a at the inner leg joint 6. to move relatively backward. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b moves forward relative to the lower arm 6b, and the lower arm 6b moves backward relative to the lower arm 5b. As a result, the lower leg acts to internally rotate relative to the thigh. Therefore, when pain is caused in the knee joint when the lower leg is externally rotated with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended, the pain can be alleviated by suppressing the external rotation.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the internal crus rotation action exerted by the knee brace 2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, as an example, while the knee joint is extended and the knee joint angle changes from 90 degrees to 20 degrees, the lower leg acts to rotate internally with respect to the thigh. is further extended and the knee joint angle goes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees, the lower leg acts to externally rotate the thigh. This is because, as shown in FIG. 3, the relationship of distance d2>distance d1 is established, and the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 slightly returns toward the bending side end portion 11e immediately before the knee joint reaches the extended state. . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 9, by establishing the relationship of distance d4>distance d3, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 slightly returns toward the bending side end portion 21e immediately before the knee joint reaches the extended state. . By slightly externally rotating the lower leg with respect to the thigh just before the knee joint finishes extension in this way, it is possible to reproduce the screw home movement.

However, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, it is also possible to configure so that the lower leg does not rotate with respect to the thigh while the knee joint angle goes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the extension-side cam groove 10c is formed to draw an arc around the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 so that the distance d2=distance d1, and as shown in FIG. , and distance d4=distance d3. According to this, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 does not move within the long groove 11 and the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 does not move within the long groove 21 while the knee joint angle goes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees. , the lower leg does not rotate relative to the thigh.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the lower leg can be further internally rotated with respect to the thigh while the knee joint angle goes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the extension-side cam groove 10c is formed so as to separate from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 toward the extension-side end portion 10d so that the distance d2<distance d1. 2, the extension-side cam groove 20c is formed to move away from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 toward the extension-side end 20d so that the distance d4<distance d3. According to this, while the knee joint angle goes from 20 degrees to 0 degrees, the pivot shaft 12 moves further toward the extension side end portion 11 d within the long groove 11 , and the pivot shaft 22 moves within the long groove 21 . Furthermore, since it moves toward the extension side end 21d, the lower leg continues to internally rotate with respect to the thigh.

(Inversion alleviation effect)
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the long groove 11 is inclined with respect to the upper arm 5a so as to be directed upward toward the front. When the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned at the extension side end portion 11d, and when the knee joint is flexed, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is positioned at the flexion side end portion 11e. That is, when the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 moves from the bending side end portion 11e toward the extending side end portion 11d. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b is substantially moved upward by the vertical displacement between the extension side end portion 11d and the bending side end portion 11e. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the leg fixing portion 9 is shortened.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the long groove 21 is inclined with respect to the upper arm 6a so as to be directed upward toward the front. Rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at extension side end 21d when the knee joint is extended, and rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is positioned at flexion side end 21e when the knee joint is flexed. That is, when the knee joint is extended, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 moves from the flexion side end 21e toward the extension side end 21d. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 6b is substantially moved downward by the amount of vertical displacement between the extension side end 21d and the bending side end 21e. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the crus fixing portion 9 increases.

In this way, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 moves upward relative to the upper arm 5a, and the inner leg joint 6 moves the lower arm 6b relative to the upper arm 6a. to move relatively downward. In other words, when the knee joint is extended, the lower arm 5b moves upward relative to the lower arm 6b, and the lower arm 6b moves downward relative to the lower arm 5b. That is, when the knee joint is extended, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 becomes shorter, and the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 becomes longer. As a result, the knee joint is pushed toward the inner leg when the knee joint is extended, so pain caused by rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint can be alleviated.

Furthermore, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 comes closest to the extension side end portion 11d when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees. This is because, as shown in FIG. 3, the cam groove 10 is farthest from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 at the auxiliary line c2 which is inclined 20 degrees with respect to the auxiliary line c1. Thus, in this embodiment, before the outer leg joint 5 finishes extension, that is, when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees, for example, the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 is moved to the inner leg. It is configured to move most upward relative to the lower arm 6 b of the side joint 6 . In other words, if the knee joint is extended when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the lower leg fixing part 9 becomes the shortest, and the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the lower leg fixing part 9 are the shortest. The distance between the part 9 is the longest. By configuring in this way, the following effects are exhibited.

That is, the inventors of the present application have found that the pain caused by friction between the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint appears most prominently before the outer leg side joint 5 finishes extending. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to effectively alleviate the pain caused by the rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint.

In this embodiment, when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees, the lower arm 5b of the outer leg side joint 5 is configured to move most upward relative to the lower arm 6b of the inner leg side joint 6. ing. The timing at which the lower arm 5b of the outer leg side joint 5 moves to the highest position relative to the lower arm 6b of the inner leg side joint 6 is not limited to when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees. That is, the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 is moved to the highest position relative to the lower arm 6b of the inner leg joint 6 at any knee joint angle between 20 degrees and 40 degrees. can be However, it is assumed that the joint angle of the knee joint is 0 degrees when the outer leg joint 5 is extended, and that the joint angle increases in the positive direction when the outer leg joint 5 is bent.

In this embodiment, when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees, when the knee joint is extended, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the lower leg fixing part 9 is the shortest, and the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the lower leg are the shortest. It is configured such that the distance to the fixed portion 9 is the longest. As described above, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the shortest and the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the longest when the knee joint angle is 20 degrees. It is not limited to when it is a degree. That is, when the knee joint angle is any angle between 20 degrees and 40 degrees, the distance between the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 and the crus fixing part 9 is the shortest, and the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 and the crus fixing part 9 may be the longest.

The above-mentioned varus relieving action is exhibited also at the inner leg side joint 6 . However, the explanation of the inner leg joint 6 is the same as the explanation of the outer leg joint 5, so the explanation is omitted.

By the way, the knee brace 2 may further include a biasing portion that biases the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 toward each other. As shown in FIG. 21 , the biasing portion is, for example, a tubular body 40 having elasticity, and is used to cover the knee brace 2 . According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the inner leg side joint 6 from being distorted toward the inner leg side.

That is, the joint motion of the knee joint is complicated, and it is practically impossible for the joint 5c of the outer leg side joint 5 and the joint 6c of the inner leg side joint 6 to completely follow the joint motion. Therefore, when the knee joint is bent and stretched, the outer leg joint 5 bends toward the outer leg in order to absorb the mismatch between the joint motion of the knee joint and the bending and stretching motion of the outer leg joint 5 and the inner leg joint 6. , the inner leg side joint 6 may bend toward the inner leg side. For example, when the knee brace 2 is worn on both legs, the inner leg joint 6 on the right leg side and the inner leg side joint 6 on the left leg side collide with each other during walking, and the inner leg side joint 6 may be damaged. Therefore, according to the urging portion described above, it is possible to prevent the inner leg side joint 6 from bending toward the inner leg side.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. The above embodiment has the following features.

The knee brace 2 for patients with osteoarthritis includes a thigh fixing portion 8 attached to the thigh of the wearer P, a lower leg fixing portion 9 attached to the patient's lower leg, and a thigh fixing portion 8 and a lower leg fixing portion 9. and the outer leg side joint 5 arranged on the outer leg side of the knee joint of the wearer P and capable of bending and stretching, the thigh fixing part 8 and the lower leg fixing part 9, and the inner leg of the knee joint of the wearer P and an inner leg side joint 6 arranged on the side and capable of bending and stretching. Each of the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 includes upper arms 5a and 6a arranged along the sides of the thighs and lower arms 5b and 6b arranged along the sides of the lower legs. Prepare. The upper arm 5a and the lower arm 5b are connected by a connecting portion 5c arranged on the side of the knee joint. The upper arm 6a and the lower arm 6b are connected by a connecting portion 6c arranged on the side of the knee joint. When the outer leg joint 5 and the inner leg joint 6 are extended, the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 is configured to move forward relative to the lower arm 6b of the inner leg joint 6. .

According to the above configuration, the knee brace 2 operates to internally rotate the lower leg with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended. Therefore, it is possible to suppress external rotation of the lower leg with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended. In addition, by suppressing the external rotation of the lower leg relative to the thigh, the moment arm of the knee joint is reduced, and the effect of reducing the varus moment is exhibited.

The connecting portion 5c includes a cam groove 10 provided in the upper arm 5a, a long groove 11 provided in the lower arm 5b, a rotation fulcrum shaft 12 provided in the upper arm 5a and sliding in the long groove 11, and the lower arm. 5 b and a cam shaft 13 that slides in the cam groove 10 . When the wearer P bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 slides in the long groove 11 and the cam shaft 13 slides in the cam groove 10, thereby rotating the lower arm 5b with respect to the upper arm 5a. is configured to However, the connecting portion 5c includes a cam groove 10 provided in the lower arm 5b, a long groove 11 provided in the upper arm 5a, a rotation fulcrum shaft 12 provided in the lower arm 5b and sliding in the long groove 11, A cam shaft 13 provided on the upper arm 5a and sliding in the cam groove 10 may be provided. In this case, for example, the position and shape of the cam groove 10 are appropriately adjusted.

The connecting portion 6c includes a cam groove 20 provided in the upper arm 6a, a long groove 21 provided in the lower arm 6b, a rotation fulcrum shaft 22 provided in the upper arm 6a and sliding in the long groove 21, and the lower arm. 6 b and a cam shaft 23 that slides in the cam groove 20 . When the wearer P bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 slides in the long groove 21 and the cam shaft 23 slides in the cam groove 20, thereby rotating the lower arm 6b with respect to the upper arm 6a. is configured to However, the connecting portion 6c includes a cam groove 20 provided in the lower arm 6b, a long groove 21 provided in the upper arm 6a, a rotation fulcrum shaft 22 provided in the lower arm 6b and sliding in the long groove 21, A cam shaft 23 provided on the upper arm 6a and sliding in the cam groove 20 may be provided. In this case, for example, the position and shape of the cam groove 20 are appropriately adjusted.

The long groove 11 of the lower arm 5b of the outer leg joint 5 has an extension side end 11d, which is the end of the long groove 11 and at which the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is arranged when the outer leg joint 5 is extended. is located behind the wearer P, the lower arm 5b is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. The long groove 21 of the lower arm 6b of the inner leg side joint 6 has an extension side end portion 21d which is the end portion of the long groove 21 and is the end portion where the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is arranged when the inner leg side joint 6 is extended. is located in front of the wearer P, the lower arm 6b is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. According to the above configuration, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which the lower leg is internally rotated with respect to the thigh when the knee joint is extended with a simple configuration.

When the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 extend, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the lower leg fixing portion 9 becomes shorter, and the rotation fulcrum axis 22 of the inner leg side joint 6 becomes shorter. to the lower leg fixing part 9 becomes longer. When the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 extend, the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the connection point between the lower arm 5b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 becomes shorter, and the inner leg side joint The distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 of 6 to the connection point between the lower arm 6b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is increased. According to the above configuration, since the knee joint is pushed toward the inner leg when the knee joint is extended, it is possible to alleviate the pain caused by the bones rubbing against each other on the inner leg side of the knee joint.

As described above, when the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 is provided on the lower arm 5b and the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 is provided on the lower arm 6b, when the outer leg joint 5 and the inner leg joint 6 extend, the outer leg joint 5 and the inner leg joint 6 extend. The distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the leg-side joint 5 to the thigh fixing portion 8 becomes short, and the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 of the inner leg-side joint 6 to the thigh fixing portion 8 becomes long.

Before the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 finish extending, the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the shortest, and the inner leg side joint 6 The distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 to the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the longest. Before the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 finish extending, the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the connection point between the lower arm 5b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the shortest. , the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 of the inner leg side joint 6 to the connection point between the lower arm 6b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the longest. That is, the pain caused by rubbing bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint appears most prominently before the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 finish extension. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to effectively alleviate the pain caused by the rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint.

Assuming that the knee joint angle is 0 degrees when the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 are extended, and that the knee joint angle increases in the positive direction when the outer leg side joint 5 and the inner leg side joint 6 are bent, When the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the shortest, and the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis 12 of the inner leg side joint 6 to the lower leg side is the shortest. The distance to the fixed part 9 is the longest. When the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees, the distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 12 of the outer leg side joint 5 to the connection point between the lower arm 5b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the shortest, and the inner leg side joint 6 is the shortest. The distance from the rotation fulcrum shaft 22 to the connection point between the lower arm 6b and the lower leg fixing portion 9 is the longest. That is, the pain caused by rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint appears most prominently when the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to effectively alleviate the pain caused by the rubbing of the bones on the inner leg side of the knee joint.

It is configured so that the extended state of the knee joint is not released by ground reaction force when the affected leg wearing the knee brace 2 lands on the ground. According to the above configuration, the extended state of the knee joint is not canceled when the user lands on the ground.

An extension side cam groove 10c (region) of the cam groove 10 in which the cam shaft 13 is positioned when the knee joint is in the extension state is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 5a. Similarly, the extension side cam groove 20c (area) of the cam groove 20 in which the cam shaft 23 is positioned when the knee joint is in the extension state is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 6a. According to the above configuration, with a simple configuration, it is possible to prevent the knee joint from being released from the extended state upon landing.

The extension-side cam groove 10c is inclined downward as it approaches the extension-side end 10d of the cam groove 10 on the extension side. You may make it incline so that it may go upwards as it approaches the extension side edge part 20d which is an edge part. Even in this case, with a simple configuration, it is possible to prevent the knee joint from being released from the extended state upon landing.

1 Leg brace 2 Knee brace 3 Lower leg support 5 Outer leg side joint 5a Upper arm 5b Lower arm 5c Connecting portion 6 Inner leg side joint 6a Upper arm 6b Lower arm 6c Connecting portion 8 Thigh fixing portion 9 Lower leg fixing portion 10 Cam groove 10a bending side cam groove 10b middle cam groove 10c extension side cam groove 10d extension side end 10e bending side end 11 long groove 11d extension side end 11e bending side end 12 rotation fulcrum shaft 13 cam shaft 20 cam groove 20a bending side cam Groove 20b Intermediate cam groove 20c Extension side cam groove 20d Extension side end 20e Bending side end 21 Long groove 21d Extension side end 21e Bending side end 22 Rotation fulcrum shaft 23 Cam shaft 30 Thigh cuff 31 Thigh belt 32 Lower leg cuff 33 Lower leg belt 40 Cylinder c1 Auxiliary line c2 Auxiliary line c3 Auxiliary line c4 Auxiliary line d1 Distance d2 Distance d3 Distance d4 Distance P Wearer

Claims (11)

a thigh fixing part attached to the patient's thigh;
a lower leg fixing part attached to the patient's lower leg;
an outer leg side joint that connects the thigh fixing part and the lower leg fixing part and is arranged on the outer leg side of the knee joint of the patient and is bendable and stretchable;
an inner leg side joint that connects the thigh fixing part and the lower leg fixing part and is arranged on the inner leg side of the knee joint of the patient and is bendable and stretchable;
with
A knee brace for patients with knee osteoarthritis,
Each of the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint includes an upper arm arranged along the side of the thigh and a lower arm arranged along the side of the lower leg,
The upper arm and the lower arm are connected by a connecting portion arranged on the side of the knee joint,
The lower arm of the outer leg joint is configured to move forward relative to the lower arm of the inner leg joint when the outer leg joint and the inner leg joint extend. ,
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 1,
The connecting part is
a cam groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm;
a long groove provided in the lower arm or the upper arm;
a rotation fulcrum shaft provided on the upper arm or the lower arm and sliding in the long groove;
a cam shaft provided on the lower arm or the upper arm and sliding in the cam groove;
with
When the patient bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft slides in the long groove and the cam shaft slides in the cam groove, thereby rotating the lower arm with respect to the upper arm. is configured to
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 2,
the cam groove is provided in the upper arm,
The long groove is provided in the lower arm,
The rotation fulcrum shaft is provided on the upper arm,
The cam shaft is provided on the lower arm,
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 3,
In the long groove of the lower arm of the outer leg side joint, an end of the long groove where the rotation fulcrum shaft is arranged when the outer leg side joint is extended is positioned behind the patient. is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lower arm so as to
In the long groove of the lower arm of the inner leg side joint, the end of the long groove where the rotation fulcrum shaft is arranged when the inner leg side joint is extended is positioned in front of the patient. inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lower arm so as to
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 2,
When the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint extend, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion becomes shorter, and the inner leg side joint extends. The distance from the rotation fulcrum axis to the thigh fixing part or the lower leg fixing part is increased,
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 5,
At a stage before the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint finish extension, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is the shortest. The distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the inner leg side joint to the thigh fixing part or the lower leg fixing part is the longest,
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 6,
Assuming that the knee joint angle is 0 degrees when the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint are extended, and that the knee joint angle increases in the positive direction when the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint are flexed,
When the knee joint angle is between 20 degrees and 40 degrees, the distance from the rotation fulcrum axis of the outer leg side joint to the thigh fixing portion or the lower leg fixing portion is the shortest, and the inner leg side joint has the shortest distance. The distance from the rotation fulcrum axis to the thigh fixing part or the lower leg fixing part is the longest,
knee brace. A knee brace according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
It is configured so that the extension state of the knee joint is not released by ground reaction force when the affected leg wearing the knee brace lands,
knee brace. A knee brace according to claim 1,
The connecting part is
a cam groove provided in the upper arm or the lower arm;
a long groove provided in the lower arm or the upper arm;
a rotation fulcrum shaft provided on the upper arm or the lower arm and sliding in the long groove;
a cam shaft provided on the lower arm or the upper arm and sliding in the cam groove;
with
When the patient bends and stretches the knee joint, the rotation fulcrum shaft slides in the long groove and the cam shaft slides in the cam groove, thereby rotating the lower arm with respect to the upper arm. is configured to
the area of the cam groove in which the cam shaft is positioned when the knee joint is in the extended state is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper arm, or
the region of the cam groove of the outer leg side joint slopes downward as it approaches the end of the cam groove on the extension side, or
The area of the cam groove of the inner leg joint is inclined upward as it approaches the end of the cam groove on the extension side,
knee brace. A knee brace according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
further comprising an urging unit that urges the outer leg side joint and the inner leg side joint to approach each other,
knee brace. A leg orthosis comprising a knee orthosis according to any one of claims 1-10.

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